Football kicking apparatus and method



1967 P. STERN 3,348,842

FOOTBALL KICKING APPARATUS AND METHOD I Filed July 16, 1964 INVENTOR. P/V/Z/P L. anew/v United States Patent 3,348,842 FOGTBALL KICKING APPARATUS AND METHOD Philip L. Stern, 105 W. 13th St., New York, N.Y. 10006 Filed July 16, 1964, Ser. No. 383,156 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-55) This application relates to an apparatus for and a method of kicking a football of the type which is in the form of a prolate spheroid, and more particularly relates to an apparatus and method for instructing the user to kick such football, specifically to punt it so that it will spiral through the air.

The point of contact and the angle of impact between a football of the American type, that is, one of prolate spheroid shape, and the kickers foot are the most important factors in executing a proper spiral kick. Although there are other aspects which influence the perfection of the kick, a satisfactory spiral kick can always be achieved once the kicker correlates the point of contact and the angle of impact correctly. Once these factors have been learned and correlated, the other factors of a kick, which are in the nature of refinements, can be learned and added to the basic, previously learned elements of the kick.

The invention has among its objects the provision of an improved novel combination of apparatus elements adapted for the teaching of a user to kick a football correctly.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a combination of apparatus elements, as above indicated, for the teaching of a user to kick a football in such manner as to cause it to spiral through the air.

Yet other objects of the invention are to provide a novel method of kicking a football, and to provide a novel method of teaching a kicker how to kick a football correctly so as to cause it to spiral through the air.

The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

FIG. 1 is a view in rear quarter perspective of a football player equipped with a kicking shoe in accordance with the invention about to kick a football provided withindicia in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in top perspective of the foot-ball as it drops toward the rising kicking foot of the kicker;

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of a gaiter adapted to be mounted upon a conventional football shoe to make a kicking shoe combination as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a composite view in perspective of the kicking foot and the football immediately after the moment of impact therebetween, the football now having started upon its spiral path through the air.

Turning now to the drawings, in FIG. 1 there is shown a football player about to kick or punt a football having a prolate spheroid shape. The player is shown holding a football which he is about to drop as his kicking foot, here shown as his right foot, rises to meet the ball. Specifically, from the position of FIG. 1 the player will move his right leg and foot back in a backswing, following which he will swing his right leg and foot forcibly forward, dropping the football at the proper time and in the proper orientation to cause the foot to meet the ball in the manner indicated in FIG. 2 which shows the football and kicking foot at an instant before the moment of impact. The ball then takes off in its flight, as indicated in Patented Oct. 24, 1967 FIG. 4, the kicking foot continuing to follow through in its upward travel or stroke. All of these actions take place in a very short time interval, as parts of a continuous cycle. Not only must the timing of the motion of the kicking leg be very accurately correlated with the timing of the dropping of the ball, if the kick is to be successful, but the alignment and orientation of the football relative to the kicking foot must be accurate if the football is to travel spirally through the air, as desired. The apparatus and method of the present invention are adapted to teach a kicker automatically to orient the football correctly relative to the kicking foot; when this has been learned, several of the many variable factors in the kicking operation will, in effect, have been eliminated. The kicker can now discard the apparatus of the invention, and concent-rate on the other factors of the kicking maneuver.

The apparatus of the invention includes indicium means for marking the center of kicking impact onthe foot-ball, an indicium means or a directional marking on the football for properly orienting the football with respect to the direction of travel of the kicking foot, indicium means on the kicking foot for marking the point of kicking impact of the foot with the center of kicking impact of the football, and an indicium means or directional marking on the kicking foot extending at a desired predetermined angle with respect to the generally vertical path of travel of such foot in its kicking stroke when the directional marking on the football is aligned with the directional marking on the kicking foot and the kick is otherwise properly carried out a well executed spiral kick will result.

Preferred but not limiting apparatus means for supplying the various above indicated indicia or marking means are shown in the drawings. As there shown, the football 10 is provided on at least one of its upper and lower sides, and preferably on both, with a mark or indicium 11 which may be in the form of a circle, spot or the like, here shown generally in the form of a circle, mark 11 designating by its center the center of the location of proper kicking impact with the football. Also affixed to the football is at least one line 12 extending in the plane of the longitudinal axis of the football from the mark 11, Two such marks 12 ending in arrows, extending in opposite directions from the mark 11 shown, are employed in the illustrative embodiment. Marks 12 are employed for aligning the football with respect to the directional mark, to be described, on the kicking foot.

Marks 11 and 12 may, for example, be applied to the football as distinctively colored paint or ink, either at the time of manufacture of the football or later. Other manners of applying marks 11 and 12, as by embossing the leather cover of the football, or the like, may, of course, be used. It will be understood that preferably marks 12 are applied to both the upper and lower sides of the football.

The marks or indicia on the kicking foot of the player are, in the illustrative embodiment, applied to a readily removable gaiter 14 worn on the kicking shoe 15 of the player. The gaiter 14 is made up of a broad panel 16 of flexible sheet material. In the embodiment shown, panel 16 is shown (FIG. 3) as being made in two parts 16' joined at the front by a stitched seam 17. It is obvious that, if desired, panel 16 may be made in one piece. A suitable material for making panel 16 is a tough strong plastic such as polyvinyl chloride.

The gaiter shown has wings 19 integrally attached to the rear ends of panel portions 16, there being straps 20 integrally secured to the rear ends of panel portions 16'. The rear ends of straps 20 are fastened together by a snap fastener 21. Preferably an elastic tape 22 is secured to the end of one strap 20, one part of the snap fastener being secured to the free end of the elastic tape and the of the shoe, and the ends of the straps are securedtogether under the tension of the elastic tape 22 by fastener 21 at the rear of the shoe. The gaiter thus may be employed wih shoes of a variety of different sizes. The gaiter is stably held in position on the shoe, despite the kicking impact of the football thereagainst, by a strap 24 which is secured at its ends to the lower edges of Wings 19 of the panel 16 at the forward ends thereof so as to lie under the shoe at the instep forwardly of the heel. Strap 24 is preferably made of elastic tape material so as to hold the panel 16 and wings 19 firmly down upon the shoe 15. The yieldable nature of strap 24 also permits the gaiter to be used with shoes of different sizes.

The front panel 16 of the gaiter bears a first mark or indicium 25 generally in the form of a spot or circle, here shown as a distorted circle, for marking by its center the point of kicking impact of the foot with the center of kicking impact of the football. Also affixed to the gaiter and radiating from mark 25 are two aligned oppositely extending marks or lines 26 located at a predetermined desired angle with respect to the plane of the proper direction of the foot in its kicking stroke. In the preferred embodiment shown, such predetermined angle is a substantial but relatively small acuate angle. Marks 25 and 26 may be applied to the panel 16 of the gaiter as a distinctively colored paint or ink. They may be printed or embossed in the panel 16 or otherwise suitably applied. The marks 25 and 26 may, in some circumstances, be applied to the kicking shoe itself, although this is not preferred.

From the above, the manner of use of the apparatus of the invention will be apparent. The football is initially held as shown in FIG. 1 with a set of marks 11 and 12 facing upwardly, and with the lines 12 aligned with the marks 26 on the gaiter. The kicking foot is then swung rearwardly in its backstroke and then forwardly in a generally vertical plane in its kicking stroke, both containing the longitudinal axis of the kicking foot. At the proper time the football is released to fall so as to be in position to meet the uptravelling kicking foot, as indicated as about to occur in FIG. 2. When properly executed, these actions result in the engagement between the foot and the football at the locaion of marks 25 and 11, thereon, respectively, with lines 12 on the football being aligned with lines 26 on the gaiter or shoe of the kick ing foot. The football then leaves the foot, as shown in FIG. 4, to start its spiral flight through the air, and the kicking foot follows through on its kicking stroke.

Although only one embodiment of the apparatus and method in accordance with the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing specification, it is to be especially understood that various changes, such as in the relative dimensions of the parts, materials used, and the like, as well as the suggested manner of use of the apparatus of the invention, may bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus instead of the straps 20 and separable fastener 21, there may be employed one or more shoe strings threaded through eyelets at the sides and back of the gaiter for securing it over the shoe.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for use in instruction in the spiral kicking of an American style football, comprising a football having the form of a prolate spheroid, a first indicium on the football indicating the center of kicking impact of the football, a second indicium on the football in the form of a visible line lying in the longitudinal axial plane of the football, a kicking shoe adapted to be worn on the kicking foot of the user, an indicium on the kicking shoe in the form of a visible line lying at a predetermined desired substantial but relatively small acute angle with respect to the plane of the correct kicking stroke of the kicking foot and with respect tothe longitudinal axis of the foot-receiving portion'of said shoe, whereby when the football is disposed and dropped with the visible line thereon constituting the secondindicium on the football in the plane of travel of the indicium in the form of a visible line on the kicking shoe, and the kicking foot is swung in a kicking stroke in the generally vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of the kicking foot a correctly executed spiral kick of the football results.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a further indicium on the kicking shoe indicating the center of kicking impact of the kicking foot of the user against the football, whereby an optimum kicking impact is obtained when the center of kicking impact of the football is aligned with the further indicium of the kicking shoe at the moment of kicking engagement therebetween.

3. A method of instruction in the art of kicking spirals with a football having the form of a prolate spheroid, which comprises providing at least one indicium on the football indicating the center of kicking impact of the football, providing a further indicium on the football in the form of a visible line lying in the longitudinal axial I plane of the football, providing an indicium on the kicking shoe indicating the center of kicking impact of the kicking foot of the user against the football, providing an additional indicium in the form of a visible line lying at a predetermined desired substantial but relatively small acute angle with respect to the plane of the correct kicking stroke of the kicking foot, disposing the football with the visible line thereon constituting the additional indicium on the football in the plane of travel of the visible line constituting the further indicium on the kicking shoe in the kicking stroke of such shoe, dropping the football while maintaining such orientation of-the football, swinging the kicking foot in its kicking stroke in the generally vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of the kicking foot, and correlating the dropping of the football and the swinging of the kicking foot so that the first recited indicia on the football and the kicking shoe are aligned with each other and the further indicium on the football and the additional indicium on the kicking shoe are aligned with each other at the moment of kicking impact between the shoe and the football.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/ 1908 Eckhard 3672 6/1921 Slasor 36-72 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,684 2/1911 Great Britain.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR USE IN INSTRUCTION IN THE SPIRAL KICKING OF AN AMERICAN STYLE FOOTBALL, COMPRISING A FOOTBALL HAVING THE FORM OF A PROLATE SPHEROID, A FIRST INDICIUM ON THE FOOTBALL INDICATING THE CENTER OF KICKING IMPACT OF THE FOOTBALL, A SECOND INDICIUM ON THE FOOTBALL IN THE FORM OF A VISIBLE LINE LYING IN THE LONGITUDINAL AXIAL PLANE OF THE FOOTBALL, A KICKING SHOE ADAPTED TO BE WORN ON THE KICKING FOOT OF THE USER, AN INDICIUM ON THE KICKING SHOE IN THE FORM OF A VISIBLE LINE LYING AT A PREDETERMINED DESIRE SUBSTANTIAL BUT RELATIVELY SMALL ACUTE ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE PLANE OF THE CORRECT KICKING STROKE OF THE 